Sunday Supper at Union Market honors the tradition of gathering around the table to exchange ideas and build community. Created by leading national retail real estate owner, operator and developer EDENS, and hosted at Union Market, this annual event brings Washington business leaders, entrepreneurs, makers and creatives together at communal tables alongside chefs, artisans and advocates to celebrate the passion and people behind great food.

Sunday Supper is a primary fundraiser for the James Beard Foundation’s Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership (WEL) program. The program, conceived and initiated by EDENS’ CEO Jodie W. McLean, is designed to identify, cultivate and advance the next generation of women business leaders. Under the direction of the James Beard Foundation, this unique fellowship program is presented by Babson College, the nation’s leading school for entrepreneurship, and gives women owners access to the tools, techniques and financial training needed to open and operate thriving, scalable businesses.

“It’s imperative to have more women leaders owning and operating thriving scalable businesses,” says McLean, EDENS’ CEO. “The benefits to an entire organization and industry are significant when women are in executive leadership roles and can impact policy, guide growth and set industry practices and norms. This isn’t about fairness; it’s about good business.”

2017 marked the inaugural class of the WEL program drawing 21 women from across the nation, including several DC chef/owners, JBF Award nominee Amy Brandwein (Centrolina), Suzanne Simon (Chaia) and Shannan Troncoso (Brookland’s Finest). The 2018 WEL Fellows will soon be announced.

Tickets for Sunday Supper are still available and are $250 per person ($200 for James Beard Foundation members). To purchase tickets and learn more, visit www.unionmarketdc.com/sundaysupper.

Follow Sunday Supper on Twitter at @SundaySupperDC and #SundaySupperDC.

About EDENS EDENS develops, owns and operates community shopping centers in primary markets across the country. The company has built an institutional-quality portfolio of more than 125 retail places. EDENS has regional headquarters in Washington, DC, Boston, Columbia, Atlanta, Miami and Dallas. For additional information about the company and its retail real estate portfolio, visit www.edens.com.

About Union MarketThe Union Market District, located a short walk from the NoMa/Gallaudet metro, is a 45-acre historic urban development where, at its core, sits the acclaimed food market, Union Market. Since opening in September 2012, Union Market now averages 15,000 visitors per weekend and has hosted more than 400 retail pop-ups and events. Union Market is a place where businesses of all size launch, scale and innovate; a place for creative minds and businesses to connect, thrive and make D.C. their own. For more information about Union Market, please visit www.unionmarketdc.com or follow @UnionMarketDC on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

About James Beard FoundationFounded in 1986, the James Beard Foundation celebrates, nurtures, and honors chefs and other leaders making America’s food culture more delicious, diverse, and sustainable for everyone. A cookbook author and teacher with an encyclopedic knowledge about food, the late James Beard was a champion of American cuisine. He helped educate and mentor generations of professional chefs and food enthusiasts, instilling in them the value of wholesome, healthful, and delicious food. Today JBF continues in the same spirit by administering a number of diverse programs that include educational initiatives, food industry awards, scholarships for culinary students, publications, chef advocacy training, and thought-leader convening. The Foundation also maintains the historic James Beard House in New York City’sGreenwich Village as a “performance space” for visiting chefs. For more information, please visit jamesbeard.org.